Improvement in horse hay-rakes



B. OWEN.

HORSE HAYRAKE. No.175,376. Patentefllarch 28, 1876.

M. PETERS, PlioTc-UTNDGRAPNEH, WASHINGTGN. u C.

UNITED ySfrrrlrns PATENT "rica BENJAMIN OWEN, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAV-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,376, dated March 28, 1876; application tiled July 10, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN OWEN, of

Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in HorsejHay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of the rake-head, and in the manner of securing the teeth thereto; also7 in the arrangement of a peculiarly-formed spring-bar by which the teeth are enabled to yield sufficiently to pass slight obstructions.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I would thus describe it,

referring to the accompanying drawings, inA

which- Figure l is a side elevation of' a horse hayrake illustrating the adaptation of my im proved head. Fig. 2 is a front view of the improved spring-bar. Fig. 3 represents, in perspective, a portion of the rake-head, showing the longitudinal slot, in which the ends of the teeth are confined. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the head with a tooth attached. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the head, showing the general arrangement of parts.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. j

A represents the axle supported upon wheels B, and having thills O and a drivers seat, D. With the construction and arrangement of these parts my invention has nothing to do; norwith the manner of operating the rake to gather and discharge the collected loads. I have represented it only to show an application of the rake head E, which is pivoted in suitable bearings above the axle, and consists of a beam having a longitudinal mortise or slot extending from end to end of its front surface, and situated half-way between its edges. This slot is just large enough to admit the ends of the rake-teeth, which are bent at right angles andv passed seriatiln tical and the short one slightly longer than V the YAdiameter ofthe teeth, so that they are allowed a slight vertical, but no lateral, play. Securely fastened to the beam E at each end are two rearwardly extending ilatv steel springs, a @supporting upon their ends a bar, F, over which the teeth are laid, and.

over the teeth is placed another thinner spring bar, G, which is secured to the bar F by means of bolts passing through both bars and the separating blocks H, which are a little thicker than the diameter of the teeth. Three of the blocks are sufficient, situated as shown in Fig. 2, though more may be einployed at will.

The teeth, bent at their ends at a right angle to the plane of their curve, are passed through the orifices in the beam E, and between the bars F and G, the bent ends lying in the slot in the beam E. To secure them in position a thin strip or bar, I, is laid upon the front face of the beam E, and secured by wood-screws or bolts. In this manner the fastening is made complete.

In raking, when/the head is locked, the strain upon the teeth is supported by the springs a, which are sufticiently elastic to prevent injury/in carrying a heavy load and working over-uneven ground.

I am aware that the teethof horse hayrakes have been attached to the head by mortising the top of the head and fitting the teeth therein, and securing them by a bar placed over them and bolted down. This method of fastening is not as secure as mine, for the reason that all the strain consequent upon raking is thrown upon the top bar, while in my case it is sustained by the head itself, which is solid, and the bar I performs no other duty than to keep the ends in the Slot.

Having fully described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- `in P QSitOn by ,the 10ML inthe manner and .ffQfh'PurPOSLSilGifed- Witness my hand nhi2d day of July, A, D.

BENJAMIN OWEN.

Witnesses CEAS. M. PEGK, E- R- .Ew 

